Community

Dog barking threatened… ?

Hello fellow rioters. This afternoon when the missus reached home after work, she found a note on the door was asking us to “shut our barking dog OR…”

I am happy to ensure that our dog does not bark when we are away, but I find the tone of the note quite intimidating and borderline threatening. I am not sure if the dog is under threat or is it me or my pregnant wife?

Like i mentioned, I am going to ensure that the dog does not bark in the future, by keeping it inside the garage while we are away. Though this will ensure there is no nuisance barking, this is not a foolproof thing and there might be times when we forget to lock the garage door.

If the person who has left the note calls the RSPCA what action can they take in this scenario?

I do not want to harbour any issues with any of my neighbours and will love to live in peace and without fear of threats, as much as they do.

I am assuming that they meant to call the RSPCA and the threat was not to kill the poor thing?

Alternatively, if my beloved dog is poisoned or goes missing, what course of action can I take, seeing that she has been threatened previously?

AAAh, dog owners, clearly the most selfish and ignorant part of todays communities.

I love how they let them run up to our kids without a leash, scare the daylights out of us all and then wander over with that stupid grin and an “oh sorry, he really wouldn’t hurt anyone” or leave the droppings everywhere or keep small dogs in body corporate apartments because surely as little barking couldn’t annoy anyone or get fireworks banned because “my dog doen’t like them” or leave them at home all day with no company or anything to do and act surprised that they bark.

Keeping a barking dog is an inherently hostile thing to do and not knowing that your dog barks all day is just ignorant and selfish.

I would recommend that anyone that has a barking dog next door remain totally anonymous, by all means start with a polite anonymous letter but keep your options open. The Government will not really help and if other neighbours are friends with the barker they wont back up your claims or diary records.

At that point you are on your own.

right on!!! i am harassed by dogs running up to me and jumping all over me on my walk…and sometimes it’s quite affronting…don’t dog owners know about leash laws? and yes the poop issue is a disgrace…really cheapens the neighbourhood…

re: previous comments…i agree threatening letters arent the way to go but the ACT government do nothing to help you and owners are seldom cooperative either…it’s hard to believe some of them are never home to hear their dogs constantly barking…and it’s that noise that drives people to insanity like leaving the notes…

This is such a Canberra issue. When we go for walks there is a constant background of dogs barking. It is not just a single dog here, or a single dog there, it is everywhere. During our time in Canberra we have lived in many suburbs (Monash, Gungalin, Mawson, Issacs, Turner) and you simply cannot get away from it.

I have no doubt that the majority of dog owners are caring and responsible. But many are not and it is these folk who bring problems to the rest.

While I cannot condone anonymous threatening notes you have to ask why it was anonymous and so full of hate – neigbours here in Canberra dont chat to each other and the sound of a barking dog is one of the most irritating sounds there is, mostly because of its random and rasping nature. With those parameters it is little suprise that those complaining want to remain anonymous (and so not risk being seen as whinging) and so full of anger (as it would have built up inside them for a long time!).

The only solution I can see is that TAMS make it easier and simpler to complain (IE. You can phone them or send an email) and they, in turn, will point out to the owner that there dog is perhaps causing a nuisance to neighbours. At the moment any person wanting to go down the TAMS route is first faced with a message saying ‘Dogs Bark’ and then have to keep a two week diary and sign their soul’s away…

This issue should not be underestimated nor the level of anger it creates in usually well adjusted folk….